Guest Column: Illinois cuts deep, but none to illegals

In 2007, Illinois taxpayers were spending $3.5 billion yearly on illegal aliens’ education, incarceration and non-emergency medical care, according to the report from FAIRUS.org — 22 pages containing 43 footnoted sources. This is damaging to our seniors and veterans, who are citizens who have worked for years and deserve their benefits. It also incentivizes more illegals to come here. We complained to every politician who gave radio interviews, made calls to their offices, wrote letters and submitted essays to publications.

Last year, Illinois State Rep. Bill Mitchell, R-Decatur, cited a report that the overwhelming majority of benefits given out by former Gov. Rod Blagojovich’s All-Kids-Care have gone to the families of illegals. That’s another incentive.

Years ago, Chicago and Cook County declared themselves sanctuaries for illegals — a violation of federal law. They spend millions of Illinois tax dollars at Cook County Hospital to care for illegals, and at nursing homes permanently caring for illegals.

When Pat Quinn (D) became governor, he bragged about his new website to receive budget suggestions. It was glorified in the media as some kind of golden innovative entity, unquestionably a monumental move that would now create good government. That was nothin’ but a lie. Democrats still ignored our complaints, and Republicans correctly replied that they do not have the votes to change anything in Illinois.

In 2010, the FAIRUS.org report on Illinois was updated to $4.6 billion — proof that the Democrats are gleefully thumbing their noses at us while accelerating that spending, in spite of any trivial squalls by taxpayers! Plus, they arrogantly passed a 67 percent income tax increase during the lame-duck session.

Then, Quinn announced no county sheriffs were to participate in the Secure Communities program, which has removed hundreds of criminal illegals from our jails — another slap in the face, and also a violation of federal law. Isn’t there some way to challenge that? Or is he really above the law?

Now, “finally,” we’re in trouble, thanks to Democrats. Illinois has been shown to be the poster child for deficit spending, and Quinn wants to make cuts all over the place. News reports continuously announce one group, then the next that is complaining about cuts that will severely impact their lives. Some are even protesting in the streets. So many various deep cuts are being made in Illinois that every citizen is impacted, but not the illegals! Not one dime has been cut from their benefits, and, in all likelihood, that spending is still increasing!

Democrats refuse to acknowledge the difference between an immigrant and a trespasser. They don’t even try to justify legislating against taxpayers, forcing us to support illegals while we struggle to make ends meet! Then, we are soaked by the public-sector unions, who will stage riots before they’ll accept any cut, even to save fellow workers’ jobs. “Don’t cut my pay, lay off someone else.” That’s their sense of union brotherhood.

Why aren’t they trumpeting the merits of their agenda from the highest mountaintop? They know they’ve been bought by the public-sector unions, but they’re Teflon and rope-a-dope. They always seem to be able to cover for each other with the same generic feel-good talking points. They always tap dance when cornered. They’re ashamed, but they’ll never admit it, skulking about in the shadows like a naughty little doggie that peed in the living room.

So, when the Quinn cuts affect you personally, you should ask yourself if you have ever voted to throw a Democrat out of office.

E.J. Pagel of Winnebago, Ill., is a member of the Illinois Minuteman Project.